I Can't Lose Him
by ninjadevil2000
Summary: AU of the ending scene in Erak's Ransom. Will gets pierced by an arrow, and Halt can't do anything but sit and wait.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of the character, places, etc. **

**Author's Note: This came into my mind pretty much right after reading the end of _The Kings of Clonmel_****_._**** What if, when Will and the Genovesan were shooting, Will was shot as well as the Genovesan? Now in the book, he wasn't harmed at all, but I like a little (actually a lot) whump/hurt/comfort in my life so here is this AU fic. You may want to read the ending of _The Kings of Clonmel_**** if possible just to refresh your memory, but otherwise you don't need to know anything. **

**Enjoy and please leave a review. I'd love to know what ya'll thought. **

* * *

A pain spread through Will's chest, a pain so terrible that he felt paralyzed. Only one thing kept him from drifting into unconsciousness, and that was the voice of Halt.

"Will! Will! Stay with me!" the voice yelled.

"Halt," Will choked out.

"It's okay, Will. Just hang on," Halt said, but that was the last thing Will heard before falling into a bottomless void.

* * *

Halt watched anxiously as two arrows were shot, Will's just slightly faster than the Genovesan's. He watched as the arrows sped towards their opponents. Will's lodged itself deep in the Genovesan's chest and he crumpled, having died instantly. But Halt's attention was focused solely on Will, who suddenly had an arrow deeply embedded in his left shoulder. He fell as well with a cry of pain.

"Will!" Halt shouted, reaching his apprentice's form in a split second. "Will! Stay with me! Stay awake!"

Will's form shuddered as he choked out Halt's name, just before passing out. Halt instantly took action, collecting his apprentice in his arms and turning to Horace who stood a few feet away, looking anxiously at Halt and the form of his friend.

"Take care of this," Halt said shortly. Horace nodded, then watched for a moment as Halt quickly jogged away with Will.

* * *

"He's lost too much blood," the castle healer said. "I'm sorry, sir. There isn't much more I can do. We can only hope that he's strong enough to make it."

Halt sat at Will's side, listening to the healer though his words were muffled. Halt distantly noticed the healer leaving the room and someone else entering.

"Halt?" a voice said. It was Horace. "It's Ferris, Halt. He's dead."

Halt glanced towards Horace for a moment, seeing that his nephew, Sean, was also there, before looking back at Will.

"How?" he asked simply.

"One of Tennyson's men shot him," Horace replied.

Halt swore softly.

"Do you want to go after them?" Horace asked.

"No, we'll stay here with Will," Halt replied.

* * *

Halt stayed at Will's side for the next two days, only leaving occasionally to get a breath of fresh air or a bite to eat.

During the early hours of the second evening after the incident, Halt was drifting in the world between sleeping and waking when he heard something. Alerted immediately, Ranger senses kicking in, he looked around.

"Halt?" muttered a weak voice.

"Will," Halt said, moving to sit on the edge of Will's bed. "How do you feel?"

Will swallowed. "Weak," he muttered. He shifted slightly and gasped. "Ow!"

"It's okay," Halt said soothingly. "The arrow was embedded in your shoulder, but the healer was able to get it out. You lost a lot of blood though. We – uh – we weren't sure if you were gonna make it."

Through the dim moonlight streaming in through the nearby windows, Will looked at his mentor. "You look exhausted, Halt," he said observantly.

"Better than you," Halt shot back, but his voice was soft. The boy's skin was still way too pale for Halt's liking. "Rest, Will. We'll talk in the morning."

Will nodded before closing his eyes and turning slightly. Halt hesitated, then pulled the covers up, tucking them around Will's uninjured shoulder. Halt's heart felt a bit lighter the rest of the night, and he allowed himself a few hours of sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Halt woke up to the sounds of his apprentice stirring. A moment later, he was up from the nearby bed to sit at Will's side. The younger Ranger was pushing himself into a sitting position, pressing a hand to his bandaged shoulder. His Ranger garb had been removed and now he wore a thin nightshirt that hung open around his figure.

Will winced as he leaned back into the pillows, resting his head on the back of the bed frame. "So," he began, looking over at Halt. "What's happened? How long have I been out?"

Halt pressed his lips together and blew a breath out through his nose. "It's been two and half days now. The Genovesans escaped but not before killing Ferris."

Will drew in a breath. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Halt."

The grizzled ranger shook his head. "Don't worry yourself with it, Will. Focus on getting yourself better."

"What's going to happen now?" Will asked. "Will Sean become the new king?"

Halt nodded.

"What about the Genovesans?" the younger man asked again. "Shouldn't you have gone after them?"

Halt raised an eyebrow in his characteristic fashion. "And have you following me when you're on death's doorstep? I don't think so." His tone was lighthearted, but there was a fondness underlying the words that Will noticed.

During his first year or so as an apprentice he might not have caught the undertone, but now, having been with Halt for so long and learned his personality and traits, he could sense the worry in his master's voice.

"How bad was it?" Will asked tentatively.

Halt was silent for a moment before replying, "It – it was pretty bad, Will. You lost a lot of blood and until you woke up last night, we weren't sure if – if you'd make it."

Will shrugged, wincing when it jolted his shoulder. "Well, I made it, didn't I?"

Halt's eyes then took on a sense of irritation. "You do realize that you almost died, don't you?"

"We've both had close calls before, Halt."

Halt's eyes remained hard for a moment longer before blinking the irritation away and looking back at Will. His eyes were tired but still full of that bright life, that smile.

Halt's eyes traveled downwards, just a few inches to Will's shoulder. Bandages wrapped around the wound and Will's hand rested upon it, subconsciously providing another protective layer.

"How're you feeling?" Halt asked.

Will sighed. "As well as can be expected I guess. Not great, but not terrible." He looked down and pulled the bandages away enough to see the wound.

The blood had been cleaned away, so there was only raw, pink skin that showed. It was swollen but otherwise it seemed healthy.

"It'll scar," Halt said.

Will nodded. "Well, maybe Alyss will think it's cool," he said with a smile.

Halt shook his head as his young apprentice. There was silence for a moment until Will spoke again.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Halt."

Halt raised an eyebrow again. "Really?"

Will laughed. "Yes, really. I know you well enough to see that you've barely slept the past few days while I've been here."

Halt shrugged. "I've just had a lot on my mind."

The apprentice laughed. "Sure you have."

Halt patted the knee of his apprentice. "Hungry?" he asked.

Will nodded. "Yeah, a bit."

Halt nodded and left, returning a few minutes later with some food for the both of them. They ate in a pleasant silence, both knowing, if not saying, how important the other was to them.


End file.
